Reunited at Last
by SuperWhoLock73
Summary: A one shot on a different take of Ten and Rose's first goodbye


"Hello Rose," I tense. I knew that voice anywhere. But . . . it couldn't be. I turn around and tears fill my eyes.

"Doctor," I murmur, taking a step closer to him. He grins down at me.

"The one and only."

"But . . . how?"

"Oh, it's quite simple, really." The Doctor starts off on his lengthy explanation filled with his usual science talk that I hardly understood. I didn't even try to fathom it. I was too happy to see him.

I throw my arms around him mid-sentence. He chortles and wraps his arms around me.

"I've missed you so much." I whisper through the tears. He hugs me tighter.

"You have no idea," he murmurs. "How long I've been waiting for this moment."

I pull back slightly to look up at his face. His amusement from moments ago was gone.

"How long have you been searching for me?" I ask. I still couldn't believe he was actually here. The Doctor gazes down at me intently. I'd seen two different versions of the Doctor, but I'd always preferred this one.

"Ten years. Been working non-stop for you, I have." He says, tucking a stand of hair behind my ear. "Your hair is longer. And darker."

"Ten years?" I ask in disbelief. "I've only been through six months without you." He smiles and shakes his head slightly, looking down at our hands, gripping tightly together as if one of us were to let go the other the other would disappear. I suppose we had good reason to believe that.

"I'd hoped it would be sooner than that for you. It seemed cruel to let you move on, only for me to come back." Doctor grinned at me again, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "Beggars can't be choosers, I suppose. And I was most certainly a beggar."

"But, after ten years, why didn't you movie on? Just forget about me and find another companion?" I almost didn't want to hear the answer. The Doctor's smile fades.

"Oh Rose," he murmurs. "I could never ever move on or forget about you."

The tears wouldn't stop. I smile up at him.

"Never say 'never ever'," I retort. The Doctor's smile once again disappears. He gazes down at me and not only could I see it in his eyes, but I could feel it as we stood in my bedroom. I could feel the pain and loneliness he'd suffered through his entire life. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze him tightly to me._ I'll never let go again,_ I tell myself.

"I'm sorry." I apologize. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Nonsense. You had every right," said the Doctor. "I'd broken my promise to you."

"What promise was that?"

"That you could spend the rest of your life with me." Doctor said. "Besides, I couldn't just leave and never see you again without finishing what I was saying." I look up at him without loosening my grip.

"And what were you saying, Doctor?" He grins down at me and this time I return it.

"Rose Tyler," I Doctor begins and I close my eyes, reliving that bittersweet moment, but open them again to me the Doctor's eyes. "I love you."

My heart swells at these words that I'd longed for him to say.

"I love you so much, Doctor." Finally, after all the time we'd both spent waiting for this moment, the Doctor leans his head down and presses his lips to mine.

I close my eyes and move my arms from around his waist to around his neck, pulling him closer to me. The Doctor picks me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. Oh, how I'd missed this feeling. This feeling of belonging. This feeling of closeness. This feeling of being right where I was meant to be. But now, there was a new feeling. No, not new. Newly identified. The feeling of being loved.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The Doctor hastily puts me down and we hurry to right ourselves as my door opens.

"Hey, Rose, I-"

"Mickey!" The Doctor cuts him off. "Oh, it's so good to see you, mate!"

"Doctor?" Mickey asks in astonishment. "But it can't be! You destroyed the void!"

"Ah, but it is! And I did! Now come here you wonderful idiot!" They hug and when they pull apart my mum comes into the room.

"What's all the ruckus? You're going to wake the baby!"

"Jackie!" The Doctor hugs her as well.

"Doctor! Oh, it's good to see you! But how are you here? I thought you'd said it was impossible! Did you come on the Tardis? Oh, but of course you did! Come on, have a cup of tea! I just put some water on! Oh, Pete won't believe this!" Mum starts off down the corridor talking faster than she had in a long while. Mickey rolls his eyes and follows her. The Doctor holds his hand our for me.

"Come on, then." He says. "Let's go have a cup of tea with your mum, Rose." The Doctor grins. "I was starting to think I'd never say that again." I grin and take his hand.

"Something told me you would, though." The Doctor kisses my cheek and pulls me out of the room. Our hands connected and it felt like he'd never left and I knew that he never would again.


End file.
